Automatic phonograph



6 Shepts-Sheet 1 gnmtoc 1M Bryan) R. B. BRYANT AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPHFiied Jan. 7, 1936.

Se 2., 6 Sheets-Sheet 2- Jan. 7,' 1936.- R. B. BRYANT AUTOMATICPHONOGRAPH Fiied Sept. '29, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 7, 1936. R. B. BRYANT 2,

AUTOMATIC' PHONOGRAPH I filed Sept; 29, 1950 6,Sfieets-Shee c 4 Jan. 7,1936. RB. BRYANT 2,026,820

AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH Filed Sept. 29, 1930 s Sheets-Sheet 6.

Patented Jan. 7, 1936 i I UNITED STATES.

PATENTTOFFICE 2,026,820 7 AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH Roy B. Bryant, Dallas,Tex. Application September 29, mo. Serial No. 484,997

9 Claims. (01. 214-) This invention relates to new andusefulimprovements in automatic phonographs.

A particular object of the invention is to provide means fortransferring records of various sizes from a supply stack to a rotatableturntable, whereby said records are positioned during the transferringoperation so as to be centered on said turntable.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for discharging therecordsfrom the tumtable and returning them to the supply stack inconjunction with means for aligning the records in said stack forengagement by the transferring means, whereby records of various sizesmay be successively reproduced.

An important object of the invention is to provide means for reversingthe record just reproduced, whereby both sides of said record may besuccessively reproduced.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means forlifting the reproducer from contact with the records during thetransferring and removing actions, together with improved means forpositioning and lowering the Q reproducer onto the various size recordsat the beginning of their scores.

A still further objectof the invention. is tovention will be hereinafterdescribed together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from awarding. of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings inwhich an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of a deviceconstructed in accordance with theinvention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same,

Figure 3 is an endeleyation of the same,

Figure 4 is a'horizo ital 'sectional view taken on the line 4.4 of 2,

Figure 5 is a longitudinal tertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5of Figurea,

Figure 6 is a plan view of the can'fdiik} Figures 7 and 8 are partialelevations of the same taken on opposite sides of said disk,

Figure 9 is a bottom view of the cam disk,

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the record transferring means,

Figure 11 is a detailed view of the reproducer shifting mechanism,

Figure 12 is a perspective .view of the record returning means, and

Figure 13 is a detailed view ofthe record centering mechanism.

- This case is a continuation in part of my co- 5 pending case SerialNo. 336,975, filed February 2, 1929, which has since matured into PatentNo. 1,880,760. v

In the drawings the numeral i0 designates a cabinet having a base H, atop panel I! and 10 a center panel it. As is best shownin Figures 1, 2and 5, a raised platform ll having. an inclined end I5 is mounted on oneend of the panel 12 for supporting a, variable stack A of records.Guides l6 areprovided on opposite sides of the platform for guiding therecords thereon.

A turntable I1 is mounted at the other end oifthe panel It on a drivevshaft 18 extending upward through the panel. The shaft has a right angledrive connection with an electric 20 motor l9 which has the usualsprlngsuspension from a. plate 20 mounted in an opening 2| of the panell2. This turntable is provided with an annular shoulder 22 and anannular groove 23 positioned so that the edges of the standard ten andtwelve inch records will overhang the groove and shoulder respectively,as is shown in Figure 5. a

A transfer cradle 24 having lips 25 and- 26 with the lip 26projecting-beyond the lip 25, is o Pusher arms :4 having pivoted fingersas with record engaging studs 36 on the ends of said fingers, arepivotedon a bar 31 mounted between the upper ends of a yoke 35, The yokeextends upwardly through slots 39 in-the panel I! from its pivotalmounting in blocks 40 located on one end of the center panel l3. Pins lldepending from each of the pusher. arms engage upright stops on thepanel I? for lifting the pusher arms upward from engagement with the toprecord of the stack, when-the yoke is swung to its extreme left position(Figure 5). when the yoke is swungto the right the pusher arms will fallon the top record with the fingers lying on said record so thatfurthermovement of the yoke record andslide said record, toward thetransfer -cradle for engagement therein between the lips 25 and 26. Theyoke is then swung to the left so i that when the transfer cradle isrocked with the record engaged therein the pusher arms will free saidrecord.

vAs the transfer cradle is rocked in a clockwise direction (Figures 2and 5) the record irrespective of its size will settle in said cradleand center itself between the rests 43 of-the cradle, as is shown inFigure 10. As is best shown in Figures 1, 2, 5 and 13 a sliding ejector44, comprising a yoke 45 having its upper ends bent at right anglesthereto to form fingers 41 with lugs. 46 extending upwardly fromsaidfingers, extends upwardly through slots 46 in the panel l2 intermediatethe cradle and the turntable. This ejector serves to move the recordfrom the cradle so that the center hole of the record registers with thepin l8. The yoke 45 is secured onone end of a slide 49 which is looselysupported beneath the panel by a headed pin 56 extending through a slot5| in one end of the slide and secured in the panel, as is shown inFigures 2, 4 and 5. The opposite or yoke end of the slide is supportedon the arms of a yoke 52 which is pivotally mounted in supporting blocks53 depending from the panel l2, so that by swinging the yoke 52 thesliding ejector is raised or lowered; also by reciprocating the slide 49the ejector is likewise reciprocated. Therefore, when the cradle isrocked to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 with a record engaged insaid cradle and the ejector is raised and reciprocated thelugs 48 willengage the record and eject the same from the cradle and likewiseposition said record upon the turntable over the center pin I 8. Whenthe cradle swings the record the latter comes to rest on the pin I6.Owing to the centering of the record the hole of the latter is alinedwith the pin 18, and consequently it is necessary to slide the record toregister its I hole with said pin.- The ejector will then reverse itsmovement and be lowered within the slots 46 out of the way of otheractuating parts.

A reproducer 54 is secured on one end of a supporting arm 55 which ispivoted at its other end in a yoke 56 on the end of a vertical shaft 51.As shown in Figure 11, the shaft depends through a bearing 58 on thepanel l2 and through an opening 59 in said panel. A curved guide rod 60mounted in a stand 6| secured on the panel l2 partially encircles theshaft 51 so that when the shaft 51 is lowered the reproducer arm 55 willengage the rod 60. This rod serves as a fulcrum for the arm 55 to raisethe reproducer 54 from engagement with the record on the turntable.

'By reason of the upward curve of the rod the arm 55, when engagedtherewith, will slide under its own weight along said rod to anadjustable stop 6|, as shown in Figure 11.

The stop 6| isadjusted for positioning the arm 55 so that when the shaft51 is raised the reproducer will be lowered to engage the reproducerneedle at the beginning of the score on a twelve inch record. Whena'teninch record is transferred onto the turntable a deflecting arm 62pivotally mounted in the panel 12 and having an turned ,inclined guide63 will swing beneath the reproducer, so that when said reproducer islowered it will engage the inclined guide and slide down the same ontothe ten inch record at the beginning of its score. A wear plate 64having a depending finger 65 is secured on the edge of the reproducerfor taking the wear between the a reproducer and the inclined guide.Also, the

finger 65 engages over the guide to prevent the same swinging frombeneath the reproducer during their engagement.

A discharging member 66 is pivotally mounted on pins 61 in upright posts66 of a gear rack 69 which is slidably mounted in a guide track 10secured on the panel I2. As is best shown in Figures 1, 3 and 5, thedischarging member extends out over the center of the panel and has aninclined .shoe H mounted thereon with a 1 slot I2 extending through saidshoe and said member. A gear 13 mounted on the upper end of a verticalshaft 14 is meshed with the gear rack 68 whereby the alternate rotationof said shaft will reciprocate said rack and likewise the 1;

discharging member.

As the discharging member is moved to the left (Figure l) the shoe willride over the turntable and engage under the edge of therecord on saidturntable. The inclined face of the shoe 2 riding under the edge of therecord will raise the same and free the record from engagement with thecenter pin l8. An arcuate wing 14' extending upwardly from the member 66behind the shoe will then bear against the record and slide it 2 fromthe turntable along runways I5 and up the inclined end I 5 of theplatform to the bottom of the record stack A. By reason of the slot I2the shoe and outer end of the member 66 will clear the center pin I8,when passing thereover. 3

As the shoe-rides off the turntable, said shoe will ride down aninclined block I6 to the panel l2 thereby lowering the shoe below therecord, stack A and bringing the arcuate wing opposite said stack. Atthis point of operation the pusher 3 arms will be rocked sufliciently toslide the top record'of the stack A against the arcuate wing. The cradleis in an upright position, as shown in Figure 10, when the wing 14'passes thereunder. The radius of the arcuate wing coincides with 4 theradius of the path through which the lips 25 and 26 of the transfercradle swings. Therefore, when the discharging member is stopped, thearcuate wing is engaging the edge of the record which it has just pushedonto the top of 4 the stack. Due to the curve of said wing, the edge ofthe record is in alinement with the path through which the lip 26 of thecradle swings. Thus, when the discharging member is returnedand thecradle rocked, the lip 26 will engage the 5 edge of the top record whichhas been positioned. in its path by the arcuate wing. This stops theswinging of the cradle and positions the same to receive the record thenext time the pusher arms 34 are operated. On the return movement of the5 discharging member the shoe will ride up the block 16, across theturntable and onto a rest 11, thereby freeing said turntable.

Elevating guides 18 best shown in Figures 1, 2

and 5, are positioned'intermediate the platform 6 l4 and the turntablewith the upper ends of vertical risers l9 pivoted in one end of theelevating guides. The risers extend downwardly through openings in thepanel l2 and are piving guides and be returned to the top of therecordstack A, whereby said record will be transferred a secondsuccessive time to the turntable and the reverse side of the record willbe faced 7 up for reproduction. The elevating guides are only raisedevery other timethat a record is discharged from the turntable, wherebyboth sides of a recordwill be played before said record is retumed-vtothe bottom of the stack A.

v i Fulcrum rests 84 mounted on the panel I2 and having inclined lips 85are provided on opposite sides of theguides 18 to serve as-a, fulcrumand a support for the record being returned to the top of the stack A,wherebythe elevating guides after gielivering the record to said fulcrumrests may drop below the level of the runways to permit the passage ofthe discharging member,

A stop in is adjustably mounted on the panel I2 at the left end of the,platform I4 (Figure 5) ,jfor positioning the records in the stack A. ,If

for reproduction, the stop is adjusted within a slot I18 in the platformto hold the -records in positionfor engagement by the lip 28 of therecords of various sizes are placed on .the platform for reproductionthe stop'l11 is positioned to the extreme left (Figure 5). But, whenrecords of corresponding size are placed on the platform cradle. I Foractuating the various elements of the device, a cam disk 86, Figures 2to 9 inclusive, having an'annular groove -81 in its edge, is rotatablysupported between a plurality of. disk rollers 88 journaled in bearingsupports 88 mounted on .the panel l8. The rollers are equally spacedabout the cam disk and have their edges rounded for engaging inthegroove 81. A hub 88 ofthe cam disk extends downwardly therefrom throughan opening 8I- in the panel I8 and has a'gear 82 secured on areduced-neck 88 of the hub by a collar 84. Clockwise rotation (Figured)is imparted to the'gear 82 and likewise to the cam.

disk through a reduced gear train 85 and pulley drive 88 from anelectric motor .81 mounted on the base panel II.

For reciprocating the gear rack 82 to rock thetransfer cradle, averticle shai't 88 (Flgures 1, 2,

3 and 4) v is journaled in bearings 88 and I88, mounted on and in thepanels 18 and I2 respectively, and extends upward through the bearingI88 and panel I2. elongated lever I8I has. one end secured to the upperend of the shaft 88 and the opposite end of the lever is pivotallyconnected by a link I82 to the gear rack 32.

An arm I88 securedon the shaft 88 has a roller I84 at its-outer endengaging in an inner cam groove I85 in the topof the cam disk, wherebythe rotation of the cam disk will swlnz the arm I88 and.

lever IM to rock the cradle.

1 For swinging the pusher arms 84 to engage the top record of the stackA in the transfer cradle a link 88 pivotally connects an arm I81 securedto the yoke 88 and the outer end of a lever I88 which. is pivoted to apedestal I88 mounted on the panel I8. The link I88 has a yielding springconnection I88 with the lever} 88 whereby any continued actuation of thelever I88 after the'swinging of the pusher arms is checked will beabsorbed by the spring I88. A roller II8 depending from the outer end ofthe lever is engaged in an outer cam groove I I I in the top of the camdisk, whereby the'rotation ofsaid cam disk will actuate the lever I88 toswing the yoke 82 and. likewise the pusher arms.

v For sliding the ejector, to eject the records linkII2--pivotally.connectsthe slide 48 and the from the transfer cradleonto the turntable, a

outer end of a lever I I8 which is secured on a vertical shaft H4."

The shaft is journaled be tween a raised support II! mounted on thepanel I8 and a bearing II8 on the undersideof the below the support IIland has secured thereon an arm III on the outer end of which ismounted a roller 8. This roller rides. on the lower edge of the cam diskin the path of a cain recess H8 in the disk and the roller is held inengagement with said disk under tension of a spring I28. The spring issuspended between the lever I and an.

eyebolt I 2I' in the end wallof the cabinet I8.

. Therefore, by rotating the cam disk the arm 1 -will be actuated toslide the ejector and eject the record from .the cradle.

when a ten inch record is, placed on the turntable the ejector 44 willtravel its full distance,

but if a twelve inch record is placed on the turn-' 7 table the ejectorwill travel only until the hole, in the record is registered with thepin I8 on the turntable; said record will then drop onto the turntable.The travel of the ejector being limited by the travel of the record, itis obvious that when the record stops, the ejector is also stopped. As,

the ejectoris actuated by the tension of the spring mi (Figure 4) thevariation in'the stopping of panel I-2. A reduced end of the shaftextends the travel of the ejector .will not damage the 1 records or themachine.

For raisingand lowering the ejector an arm I22 secured on the yoke 82has a pivotal connection with one end of a link I28the opposite end ofwhich is formed in an-elongated eye I24. This eye is mounted over a pinI28 on the lever I88, whereby the swinging of said lever will likewiseswing .the yoke 82 to raise andflower the ejector as desired. r

.For reciprocating the discharging member 68 to discharge a record fromthe turntable and aid the stack A for engagement by the cradle, a pinionI25f secured on the lower endof the shaft 14 is meshed with a gear rackI28which is slidably mounted in a guideblock I21 secured on the panel18. A link I28 pivotally connects the .the pusher arms inpositioningjthe top record of gear rack with one endof a lever I 28extending beneath the cam disk 88 and pivotedto the panel,

I8. A roller I88 on.said lever intermediate its ends engages in a camgroove I8I in the bottom of 'thedisk, whereby the rotation of said diskwill .swing the lever to reciprocate'the gear rack. I28

and-likewise the gear rack 88 and discharging panel 'I2, -with acam I88secured on" a gear I88 which is rotatably mounted on a raised support148 extending over the cam disk. The gear is rotated in acounter-clockwise direction (Figure disk by a reduced gear-14f (Figures4 and 5),

which is secured on a stub shaft I42 centrally mounted on the. camdisbina countersink I48 4)' at one-half the rotative speed of the cam therein.Thus'the cam I88 wlll'engage and ac-- 'tuate the lever I84 once to everytwo rotations of;

the cam disk, whereby the elevatin guides .18

willr'ise to elevate a record to the top of the stack A every other timethe records are disfcharged from' the turntable. "A recess I44 is'provided in the lever I84 so that when the cam I88 e sues in saidrecess elevating guides 18- will drop to permit the passage of thedischarging member. I I

For controlling the reproducer 54 (Figures 3,

' 4 and 11), a lever I45 pivotedto an angle support I46 has a roller I41mounted on one end. The

roller rides on the upper edge of the cam disk in the path of a camgroove I46 in the top of the. disk. The opposite end of the lever I45has a horizontal bar I49 secured thereto. The outer end of the bar isconfined on the lower end of the vertical shaft 51 by collars l5IlandI5I. -A spring I52 is mountedbetween the bar and an eye bolt I53 in thepanel I2 to hold the roller I41 under tension in engagement with the camdisk. The spring also relieves the weight of the bar I 49 from the shaft51 when the roller is engaged in the cam groove I48, whereby thereproducer will be lowered under its own weight onto the recordupon theturntable.

For swinging the deflecting arm beneath the reproducer to position thesame on a ten inch record, an arm I54 (Figures 3 and 4) is secured onthe lower endof a downturned leg 62 of the arm 62, which leg dependsthrough a bearing sup-.- port and the panel I2. A stud I54 on the outerend of the arm I54 engages with one end of a horizontal slide bar I55which is suspended beneath the panel l2 by headed bolts I56 passingthrough slots I51 in said bar. The other end of 0 the slide bar has apin I58 depending therefrom in the path of the lever I I3, whereby theextended movement of the lever H3, necessary for positioning a ten inchrecord on the turntable, will slide the bar I55 to swing'the deflectingarm 62 beneath the reproducer. arm 62 from beneath the reproducer'when atwelve inch record is on the turntable, a spring finger I59 depends fromthe arm in the path of on the panel I3 opposite the cam disk and leverI45 for controlling the intermittent and alternate rotations of the camdisk and the turntable. A switch arm I6I (Figures 3, 4 and 5) is adaptedto be engaged with contact points I62 and I63.

The contact point I62 is connected by a lead wire I62 to a contact pointI64 of the electric motor I9. The other contact point I65 of the motorI9 is connected by a lead I65 to the negative; wire of a 110 voltcurrent (not shown), so that 60 when the switch arm I6I, which isconnectedby rotation ofsaid shaft during the reproduction of arecordwill swing the switch arm I66 into engagement with a contact pointI66 when the end of the score on the record is reached. The

contact point I68 is secured in an insulated block electric motor 91. v

To swing the deflecting A double throw electric switch I66'is provided Ino of a support In mounted on the panel I3 and has a lead I66to a point"I of the The contact point I66 has a the other contact point I13 of themotoris connected by a lead I13 to'the negative wire of the voltcircuit. Therefore, when the switch arm I6I is engaged with the contactI63 the electric circuit is completed to the motor 91 to operate I leadI63. to the contact point "I. of the electric motor 91, while thesameand rotate-the cam disk. But when the switch arm is engaged with thecontact point I62 the electric circuit is broken to the motor 91 untilthe reproducerreaches the end of the score on the record beingreproduced at which time the electric circuit will be completed to saidmotor through they switch I69. I

For swinging the switch arm IN a pin I14 on said arm is pivotallyconnected by a link I15 with I a pin I16 on the lever I45, whereby theswinging of'said lever will likewise swing the switch arm I6I. Inoperation, the records desired to be reproduced are placed upon theplatform I4, then by closing the 110 v. circuitthrough-any suitableswitch '(not shown) with the switch arm'I6I engaged with the contactpoint 163,, the motor 91 "will begin to operate and revolve the camdisk,

thereby actuating the various elements in their respective order. in acounter-clockwise direction (Figures 2 and 5) until the lip 26 engagesthe top record which is then pushed by thepusher arms 64 between thelips .25 and 25.

The transfer cradle is then rocked in a clockwise direction to depositthe record on the 'turn-, table. The ejector then raises andreciprocates to eject the record from the cradle and position saidrecord on the turntable. If a ten inch record is being placed on theturntable, the travel of the ejector will cause the lever II 3 to swingthe de-a fiecting arm 62 beneath the reproducer so that as the rollerI41 of the lever I45 rides in the cam The transfer cradle is rockedgroove I48 the reproducer will be lowered onto 3 the ten inch record.Also, as the roller I41 When the reproduction of the record on theturntable is complete, the switch am 166 will engage the contact point I66 of the switch I69,

whereby the electric circuit is again closed to the motor 91 to rotatethe cam disk. As the cam disk begins rotating the roller I41 willride'out oi the I groove I48, thereby disengaging the switch arm I45from the contact point I62 and engaging said the electric circuit to themotor I9 to stop the rotation of the turntable and also breaking theelectric circuit through, the switch. I69 to the motor 91. But as theswitch arm I6I is engaged with the contact point-l63 another electriccircuit is completed to the motor 91 to operate the same.

until 'the cam disk has made a complete rotation and the roller I41again rides in the cam groove I48.

charged from the turntable 'by the discharging arm with the contactpoint I63, thereby breaking member 66, which has an inclined shoe II Asthe member as is moved to the left (Figures'l, 2 and 5) the shoe 1I willride over, the turntable I I 4 0 .After being reproduced, the record isdisturntable. The inclined face of the-shoe riding The shoe riding on ofthe turntable will move down an inclined block 16, thereby lowering-saidshoe below the record stack A and bringing'the arcuate wing H oppositesaid stack. As the discharging member 66 continues" to move to the left,thecradle 24 is rocked so that when the win 14' passes thereunder thecradle is in an upright position. The elevating guides 18 are raised andthe record will ride up' the elevating guides and be returned to the topof the record stack, where+ by saidrecord will beready to be transferreda second successive time to the turntable. The discharging member,willreturn to its original position, the shoe riding up the blocks 16,across the turntable and onto a rest 11. The cradle con- 1 tinues itsrocking'until the lip 26 engages the top record. At this point of theoperation, the pusher arms 34 will be rocked suillciently to slide sairecord in between the lips 25 and 26. V

The cradle is again rocked in a clockwise direc-' tion to deposit therecord on the turntable and, the reverse side of the record will befaced up for I reproduction. After this side has been reproduced, themember 66 again moves to the left, the

shoe lifting the record and the wing bearing against the record andsliding it from the turntable along the runways and up the inclined endi5 of the platform to the bottom of the stack A.

The discharging member returns to its original position and the lip 26of the cradle engages the top record and the entire operation is readyto be repeated.

" It is obvious that the operations of thevarious elements are entirelysynchronous and automatic and perform the functions of reproducingfirstone side of a record and then the other side, then r returning therecord to the bottom of the stock A and taking a second record from thetop of the stack for reproduction.

Various changes in the size andshape of the different parts, as well asmodiflcationsand alterations, may be made within the scope of theappended claims.

Having illustrated and described a preferred form of the invention, whatI claim, is:

1. In asqund reproducing'iapparatus,a rotatable turntable, a pluralityof records of diiferent diameters arranged in a stack, a transferringdevice for receiving 'a-record from the stack for delivery to theturntable, means for positioning the record irrespective of its diameterat a common point for delivery to the transferring device, means fordislodging the record from the stack into said device, and automaticallyoperated means for ejecting the record from the transferring device ontothe turntable;

2. In automatic sound reproducing apparatus, a rotatable turntable, aplurality of records of different diameters arrangedin a stack, meansfor transferring a record from the s'tackto the turntable, means forejecting the record from the transferring, means onto theturntable,including means for centering the record irrespective of its diameterwithrelation-to the centerof the V x iaoaasao and engage under theedgeof the record on said eluding a stylus engaging said record, means forengaging and disengaging the reproducing. means with'and from therec0r1d, a gravity,slide for shifting the reproducing means from the endofthe score on a record to the beginning of the score on a succeedingrecord, and-automatically operated means'for. positioning thereproducing means in engagement with the beginning of the score on arecord irrespective of the diameter of aid record.

3. In a sound reproducing apparatus, a stack of records, a rotatableturntable, means intermediturntable, means for reproducing therecord inate the stack and the turntable for receiving a record and arranged toswing to invert the record with respect to its" stacked position, meansfor discharging the record from said swinging means 'onto' theturntable, means forreproducing the record, means for dislodging areproduced record fromthe turntable and returning it to the stack, andmeans for directing'the returned rec:

' .ord either under the stack or on top of the stack.

4. In a sound reproducing apparatus, a rotatable turntable, a pluralityof records of different 1 diameters arranged ina stack, a transferringdevice for receivinga record from the stack for delivery to theturntable, means for positioning therecord irrespective of its diameterat a coinmon point for delivery to the transferring device,

automatically; operated means for ejecting the record from thetransferring .device onto the turntable, and elevating guides forguiding a record from the turntable to the top of the stack of records.

5. In a sound reproducing apparatus, a rotat- 4 able turntable, aplurality of records of different diameters arranged ina stack, atransferring device for receivinga record from the stack for the recordirrespective of its diameter at a common point for delivery to thetransferring device,

automatically-operated means for ejecting therecord from "thetransferring device onto the turntable including means for centering therecord irrespective of its diameter with relation to the center of theturntable, andelevating guides for guiding a record from theturntable tothe top of the stack of records.

6. In an automatic sound reproducing apparatus; a rotatable turntable, aplurality-of records of different diameters arranged ina stack, meanstransferringmeans onto the turntable, including means for centering therecord irrespective of its delivery to the turntable, means'forpositioning for transferring a record from the staclrto the "turntable,means for ejecting the record from the diameter with relation tothecenter of theturntable, means for reproducing the'record including astylus engaging said'record, means for engaging and disengaging thereproducing means with and from the record; a gravity slide for shiftingthe reproducing means from the end of the score on a record-to thebeginning of the score on a succeeding record, automatically operatedmeans for positioning thereproducing means in engagement with thebeginning of the score on a record irrespective of the diameter of saidrecord, and elevating guides forintermittently guiding a record from theturntable to the top of the stack of records.

'1. ma sound reproducing apparatus, a rotatable turntable, a pluralityof records of different diameters arranged in a stack,'a transferringdevice for receiving"a',record from the stack for delivery to theturntable, means for positioning the record irrespective oi its diameterat a common point for delivery to the transferring device, means fordislodgingthe record from the stack into said -device, and"automatically operated means for ejecting the record from thetransferring-device onto the turntable including means for centering therecord irrespective of its diameter with relation to the center of theturntable.

8. In a sound reproducing apparatus, the combination with a stack ofdisk records, a rotatable turntable, a swinging cradle mounted betweenthe turntable and the stack of records for swinging said records, meansfor pushing a record from the stack of records to the cradle, means forreturning a record from the turntable to the stack, and ele- .aoaasaoin.

records of various diameters, means for dislodging a record from thestack, a rotatable turntable,

a swinging element for swinging said record from the top of the stack tothe turntable and including means for positioning said record withrespect to the turntable irrespective of the diameter of said record,whereby each record is lowered with its center opening in alinement withthe center of the turntable.

ROY B. BRYANT.

